Brown's Hotel

This review was first published in March 2001

Brown's Hotel is famous for its teas but also for a notorious Cold War debriefing session conducted in a suite between spy-catcher Peter Wright, known mole Anthony Blunt, and suspected double-agent Alister Watson. During the 24-hour session, each of these men consumed several bottles of gin (well done) and the whole thing ended in a fight.

This is exactly the kind of interesting but stylish behaviour that we would hope our current spooks could emulate. If so, they, and you, could do worse than to begin the session in the hotel's excellent 1837 restaurant, which is a tiptop grand hotel dining-room that overwhelms neither in its prices nor with excessive silver service.

While noted for its extensive wine-list, majoring in wines by the glass, it also works hard to keep its menu fresh and original. So, while eating excellent scallops with tuna and foie gras and - a different but equally tasty meal - pig's cheek and crispy trotter, we whizzed through the wine-list with the sommelier's aid. They even do wines by the third of a glass, and it's all surprisingly cost-effective.

After dinner, we repaired to a suite (courtesy of the management) with three bottles of gin (also courtesy of the management) to try to recreate Wright's famous debriefing. I must say this showed considerable poise and class on the hotel's part, so may I apologise and just say that, if we'd been old-style spies, the behaviour would have been much worse.

Brown's Hotel
Albemarle Street, W1S 4BP